Shelia O'Flanagan - Better Together
This author's tales of modern life and relationships are always a hit with me. This book tells of Sheridan, a young Dublin sports journalist who feels that she is always trying to live up to her successful brothers. Her life takes an unexpected downward turn when she ends up jobless, homeless and boyfriend-less, through no fault of her own. Determined not to flounder, she takes a temporary job with a small-town newspaper where she has to learn many new skills. Her journalist's instinct is roused by a local mystery connected to the owner of the newspaper, who also just happens to be the man who fired her from her original job. But there are plenty of distractions along the way, including her new landlady, Nina, who is trying to cope with life alone after her charismatic actor husband has had yet another fling. Plus Sheridan sparks with local businessman Joe who transmits electricity to her emotions but seems to always be beyond her reach. Revelations and heart-searching abound in this captivating novel.
Judith Saxton - Still Waters
This is a pen name of author Katie Flynn. A sweeping saga beginning in 1918, it follows the lives of two young people, Mal in Australia, and Tess in the Norfolk Broads region of England. Both are troubled by nightmares that stem from tragedies during their early years, but they are unaware that one day their paths will cross. A long book, but the pace keeps going throughout, as secrets from the past gradually unfold. The bulk of the novel is set in World War Two when both Tess and Mal end up serving their countries. Their meeting and the subsequent attraction they feel makes them re-examine their lives and make huge decisions about their future as the fortunes of war tear them apart. A good, long read, full of flavour and interesting characters in both England and Australia.
Jane Green - Falling: a love story
The novel follows the story of ex-banker Emma, who has fled the rat race in New York and is renting a property in Westport, Connecticut. She left her upper-crust home in England eight years earlier, and now wants the time to breathe and rediscover herself as an interior designer. What she hasn't counted upon is falling for her good-looking landlord, Dominic, a handyman and bartender who is totally unlike the rich, suited high-flyers that she has dated in the past. But it is his kindness and positive attitude to life that beguile her. Also in the equation is Dominic's six year old son, whom he has been raising alone since his birth. Opposition from family, reappearances of past lovers and differences of background cause bumps in the road of their relationship. Written with tenderness and compassion, this is a story that touches the reader's heart.